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Monday, January 18, 2010

Couponing definition.

The definition of couponing as per dictionary.com is as follows:
- Noun
1. The practice of distributing discount coupons to consumers as a form of product promotion.
2. The activity of seeking out or saving discount coupons to save money on food or household purchases.

Origin: 1950 - 55 from coupon + ing

Now the word coupon has been around have been around since 1815.

So the art of couponing is relatively new. It’s only 60 years old! You have to wonder why if they had coupons in the 1800’s why weren’t they couponing? I’ll have to investigate that further.

For myself I’m part of the #2 definition. I’m definitely seeking out those discounts and deals. I will admit I have been a little lax. I’m still looking at the deals but I just haven’t had the ambition to go out and get them. I think it’s the weather, that or I feel I need to become more organized and have to use up some of my stockpile.

Currently we went from a 4 job household to a 1 job one. Both my husband and I had 2 jobs, he a part-time and full time job and I had 2 part-time jobs. It just was easier for me with school age kids. Now when I’m deciding what bills to pay or how much I need to pay I don’t have to worry about the food. We usually have enough in the freezer, we just have to be creative on how to use it. Now if you ask my kids we have nothing to eat, no snacks, nothing to eat for dinner, nothing good to eat. Amazingly they are not starving and we all really could loose some weight.

For our family of 5 I’m guessing I’m averaging between $100 - $200 a month on groceries, mainly for the meats and produce. I know some people just save the money they saved with coupons and have a set budget for groceries, but currently I just can’t afford that. So if I don’t have a coupon and it’s not on sale I usually don’t buy it. Of course there are those times, like everyone has had, where I just say the heck with it because I’ve run out of time and need something desperately to finish dinner.

So for us any extra money I make from eBay is helping us pay down the cards and the gift certificates I obtain from reward sites will help us out with gifts for birthdays & Christmas or even a night out. So for myself the #2 definition is what “couponing” is, searching out those deals wherever they may be.